Water heater



V. wAuc WATER HEATER Original Filed Sept. 13, 19257 4 Shouts-sheet 1 /W wr m i MAucx,

Nov. 18, 1930. v. MAUCK J I WATER HEATER v Original Filed Sept. 13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 18, 1930.

Original Filed Sept FJGE V.` MAUCK WATER HEATER 4 Sheets-Sheet .3

mia 70,?- V/CTOR MALI K, Z

Nov. 18, 1930. v. MAUCK O v A WATER HEATER Original Filed Sept. 13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FJX .1 m l [A miz crok Aim/ar,

Patented Nov. 18, 1930- VICTOR MA'UCK, OF MERION, PENNSYLVANIA WATER HEATER Original application filed September 13, 1926, Serial No. 134364. Divided and. this application filed May 5, 1927. Serial No. 189,090.

This is a division of my application Serial No. 134,964, filed September 13, 1926, which has since matured into Patent N o. 1,667,430, dated Apr. 24, 1928, which includes claims [i for the apparatus for exchange of heat, hereinafter described. My improvement in heat distributing apparatus hereinafter described,

` is claimed in my divisional application Serial No. l89,09l, filed May 5, 1927.

It is the object and efi'ect of my invention to provide a house heating system including a gas consuming heater unit, connected by pipes with a distant radiating unit or units for heating respective rooms 1 or any inclosure in which such a radiator may be located.

As hereinafter described, my invention includes the provision of both heating and radiating units of what is known as honeycomb or similar cellular Construction, and

preferably includes means for maintaining a forced circulation of both water within the heating system and the air heated by the radiator; such circulations being respectively efi'ected by a pump and fans; both preferably operated by electric motors, with thermostatically operative controlling means.

My invention includes the various novel features of Construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitcly specified.

In said drawings Fig. I is a diagram showing a house heating system embodying my invention.

Fig. II is a plan view of a heater and its invention.

Fig. III is a Vertical sectional View of said heater, taken on the line III, III in Fig. II.

Fig. IVis a sectional plan view of said heater, taken on the line IV, IV in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a plan View of one of the honeycomb heater sections indicatcd in Fig. III.

F ig. VI is a fragmentary Vertical sectional View of said heater section, taken on the line VI, VI in Fig. V.

Fig. VII is a plan View of a modified form of heater section.

F ig. VIII is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of saidheater section, taken on the line VIII, VIII, in Fig. VII.

appurtenances, Conveniently embodying my Fig. IX is a plan View of a modified form of heater section,

Fig. X is a side elevaton of the heater section shown in Fig. IX.

Referring to Eig.- I; the house or other building l comprising rooms or other inclosures 2 and 3, has, preferably in the cellar 4 thereof, the heater 6 inclosing the burner 7 supplied with gas from the Conduit 8 under control of a thermostatically operative valve in the casing 10. Said Valve casing carries th-c tubular thermostatc element 11 'extending within the water Conduit 12 whch is connected with the pipes 14 and 15 through which water is circulated through the cellular heater units 16 and pipes' 18 to radiator units 19, 20, and 21 from which the water is returned through pipes 23 to the pump 24 which is connected to said pipe 14 and arranged to be operated by the elqgtric motor 25 under control of the thermostatically operative switch 27. Said pump may be operated to circulate the water in either direction through the system; it being possible to burn more gas in the heater Without melting the soldercd joints thereof if the water is circulated upwardly through the heater;- but downward circulation of the water through the heater effects a more efiicient interchange of temperatures; the products of combustion passing from the heater being at lower temperature when the water is circulated downwardly.

Said radiator units 19, 20, and 21 are provided with respective rotary fans 29, 30, and 31 operated by electric motors 32, 33, and 34 under control of respective thermostatically operative electric switches 36, 37, and 38.

The heater 6 shown in F igs. II and III comprises the cylindrical metal shell and the circular head 42 permanently rigidly connected at the welded joint 43. Said shell is preferably provided with the cylindrical insulating jacket 45 and the insulating top member 46, with the outer cylindrical casing 47, top plate 48, and bottom plate 49; thelatter beingprovided with three legs 50, preferably detachably connected therewith.

. Said head 42 is conveniently flattened at its top and provided with openings for respectivepipe nipples 18 which extend therethrough and through the insulating jacket 46 and top casing plate 48 in rigid relation with the Y- fitting 54 which is rigidly Secured in the position shown by collars 55 encircling said nipples 18 and provided with set screws 56. Said fitting 54 serves to suspend the several heater sections 16 in rigid relation with the heater shell 40 in the position shown in Fig. III. Said heater unit sections 16 are thus connected in series relation in the water circulatory system, by couplings one of which is shown in section in Fig. III, which continuously unite the water spaces in said units but hold the latter in spaced relation as to their 'flue passageways and afiord distributing chambers between said sections for the products of combustion passing from one section to another. Such interruption in the continuity of the passagewa'ys for the products of combustion serve to not only re-distribute such products transversely with respect to the casng between successive heater units but retain the products of combustion in the heater casing longer than if said units were not in and thus insure greater eflicency of absorpton of heat from said products of combustion by the water in said units.

I find it convenient to efl'ect such suspension by providing each of said sections 16 with an axial condut fitting 58 comprising a circular inlet 59 at the bottom and a circular outlet 60 at thetop thereof, with an intermediate baflie plate 61 connected with said inlet and outlet by triple flange members 62. The construction and arrangement of said axial fitting 58 are such that the water flowing into each heater section 16 is uniformly distributed laterally in the interstices between primarly cylindrical vertical flue tubes 64; which have their opposite ends 65 expanded to hexagonal form, so as to fit tightl together with their intermediate Gon cylin rical portions in proper spaced r'ela'- tion to afiord passageways between them. Said flue'tubes 64 are assembled within the cylindrical circumferential band 66 of the unit 16, with a circular series of six filling pieces 68 at each of the axially opposite ends thereof, and such aXial Conduit fitting 58, flue tubes 64, circumferentialband 66, and filling pieces 68 are permanently rigidlyconnected in the assembled position shown by alternately dipping the opposite ends thereof in molten metal such as half and half solder.

i The lowermost heater section 16 has, pendent therefrom, the water inlet pipe 15 carrying, at the lower end thereof, the T-fitting 71 having one branch provided with the cock 72 through which water may be introduced to or drained from the heating system. 'The other branch of said T 71 is connected with the 'pipe 12 provided with the T-fitting 75 at the lower end of the return water pipe 14. The

thermostat 11 is encased by said pipe 12 and is rigidly connected with said T-fitting 75 by its screw threaded outer end member 78 which is cylindrical and in unitary relation with the valve casing 10 enclosing the Valve 80 which is arranged to control the passage of gas from the supply pipe 8 to the burner pipe 82 automatically, by eXpanson and contraction' of said thermostat 11 in accordance with the temperature of the water passing through said pipe 12.

Said burner pipe 82 is Conveniently provided with a rotary screw threaded nozle 8 1 by which the efiiective area thereof may be varied, and said nozle fits within the pendent inlet boss 85 of said burner manii'old 7 and serves to support the latter which, as indicated in Fig. IV, is 'Conveniently for-med with a radial opening 86 which will pernit it to be readily applied to and removed from coaxial position with respect to said pipel. I find it convenient to prevent accdental displacement of said burner pipe 82 from proper relation with said. water pipe 15, by means of the clamp 87 formed of strip metal and adjustable by the screw. 88.

Sad burner may be of any suitable construction, but I find it convenient to form it with a circular series of burner jets Bunsen type; comprisng elbows 90 through which gas is supplied to the mixing tubes 91 having air inlets 92 provided with internal screens 93; the flame outlet 'of each of said burner mixing tubes 91 being provided with a screen 94:. Such Construction permts said burner tubes 91 to be adjusted and set at any angle with respect to the axis of the water V pipe 15 and preferably obliquely transverse of the from said heater shell 40, by i but I find it convenient' to cause induction of air into said flue 97 I above said casing top plate 4:8: (7

The heater section 100 shown in Figs. VII

and VIII, includes a radial partition 101 and the a kial conduit fitting 102 therein compri'ses circular openings 103 and 104: respectively at the top and bottom thereof lead ing respectively to ports 105 and 106 upon opposite sides of the partition 107 in said fitting and consequently upon opposite sides of said radial partition 101. The Construction and arrangement aforesaid are such that the water is caused to circulate laterally within said section from one 'side to the other of said partition 101 before escaping:

The heater section 109, shown in Figs. IX and X, also has a radial partition 110, but

the ports 111 and 112 leading to and fror` opposite sides thereof, are formed in a conduit 114 which is securedto said section at the outer circumference thereof.

Said radiators 19, 20, and 21 each comprise'a honeycomb core of tubes similar to theheater sections 16, but heated by the Water circulated around them; so as to heat the air circulated through said tubes by said respective radiator fans 29, 30, and 31.

I prefer to make all of the heater and radiator units above contemplated of thin sheet Copper, for the reason that the latter has a coeflicient of heat conductivity approximately six and one-half times greater than that of cast iron, which is ordinarily employed in heater and radiator sections of heating systems. of my invention, and particularly with the use of such highly conductive material; not only permit the Construction of a heating system of a given capacity at much less cost than the ordinary structures for that purpose but also avoid the high cost of installation, which is characteristic of any heating system including ordinary wrought iron screw threaded pipes and couplings which require a high degree of skilled labor and expenditufe of much time for their installation. Moreover, the use of heating and radiator units of cellular` form, instead of the cast iron pipe form c'haracteristic of ordinary heating systems, presents the water in such thin films for absorption of heat from the products of combustion as to Very materially increase the efficiency of heat absorption of the water, in accordance with my invention, as compared with such ordinary systems. The connection of the water passageways of each heater unit in series relation insures the continued progression of all of the water in each unit, during the operation of the heater, and the connection of the units in series relation insures the cumulative effect of said units upon the same water in the progression of the latter from unit to unit and the consequent attainment of the maximum temperature of the water despite its rapid progression thru the heater. `Furthermore, the forced circulaton of both the Water and the air with respect to the heating and radiating surfaces, renders the latter far more efiicient than in the ordinary systems aforesaid. Consequently,the combination of the essential features of my invention in an organized heating system permits attainment of such greater heating efficiency than heretofore, that the cost of heating, with gas,` in accordance with my invention, is less than the cost of heating with coal by the ordinary means aforesaid; which is a result which has never before been attained. e

Although I have referred to the apparatus aforesaid as comprising a water heating system; it is to be understood that the water thus heated may be discharged from the heat- The peculiar design and Construction er and presented at the radiators in the form of steam; With the advantage that a greater heating efliciencyper unit of apparatus is thereby attained, as compared with apparatus in which the water is continually maintained below its boiling point. e

Although I prefer to use, as the source of heat, a gas burner including a plurality of respectively independent Bunsen j ets, such as as I have indicated, I do not claim such burners, and it is to be *understood that any other suitable source of heat may be employed. For instance, a burner of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. l15,033 filed June 10, 1926 for Letters Patent of the United States, wherein the combustible mixture of gas and air is supplied to a plurality of burner orifices from a single mixing chamber, which is common to all of said orifices.

Although I prefer to employ a pump of the rotary screw type which I have indicated, because it permits the circulaton of water therethrough by convection Currents, or otherwise, when the pump is idle; I do not claim such pumps, and it is to be understood that any other suitable means for eifecting forced circulation of the water may be employed. Moreover, although I prefer to effect forced circulaton of the air with respect to, the heating surfaces of the radiators aforesaid, by means of electrically actuated fans; other means for efecting such circulaton may be employed and, in fact, such circulating means may be omitted and the air circulated by convection.-

Therefore, I do notdesire to limit myself to the precise details of Construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is bvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims. i 4

I claim: 1. In a'heating system, a heater unit of .cellular'structure, including a congeries of thin sheet metal flue tubes, having their opposite ends expanded to polygonal form, and fitted tightly together with their intermediate portions in spaced relation, afording space and passageways between said tubes for a fluid tobe heated; a casing around said congeries, inclosing said space and passageways between said tubes; an inlet and an outlet in closely spaced relation, transversely to the axes of said tubes, and leading to and from said passageways; and a baflle plate, between said inlet and outlet, and extending in said passageways, to the entire axial extent thereof, between adjoining tubes in said congeries; whereby the heated fluid is prevented from short-circuiting, from said inlet to said outlet, and compelled to tortuously traverse all of said passageways around said flue tubes, laterally, and transversely with respect to the axes of said tubes.

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